Leading Organization Design: How to Make Organization Design Decisions to Drive the Results You Want 1st Edition

First, full disclosure I bought this book on Kindle and regret not taking the time for the actual book. Personally, I like to write in the margins, high light and (gasp) make copies of graphs, diagrams etc. but I wanted it quickly and will also purchase the book.It is a very useful and practical book for an OD professional or a business leader that wants hands on control versus employing a consultant. While practical it is a break down of their methods and approach. It is also directed towards a "Matrix" management model, some discussion of other forms of design and their pro's and Con's would have been very useful. The authors are Jay Galbraith mentees so don't expect a critique of matrix management.If you buy into matrix management and the clear advantages in a collaborative environment that has broken down the silos, it is very useful and directive. They have addressed some of the early pit falls of matrix management's question of accountability but don't expect direction to design a "command and control" environment, which would not be an option for most situations but may be required in some.As my rating would indicate, it is an exceptionally useful and instructive book. The steps in their process are clearly articulated as are the underlying issues you are trying to get at. Most impressive, to me was, the way they lead you through the decision you have to make and the questions the various stakeholders have to answer. They walk you through those questions and discussion to arrive at a decision. The book does assume you have a working knowledge of Galbraith's STAR Model, I found that I had to review this model to fully utilize this book. The willingness to be this open and instructive was much appreciated and the advantages greatly outweigh these minor critiques.

This is an extremely insightful and highly useful guide for designing organizations prepared to succeed in today's competitive marketplace. I was expecting a ten thousand foot, theoretical examination of necessary constructs and thought parameters, but instead found something very different and refreshing. While Kesler and Kates' book is well researched and thoughtful, it also provides an experience and example-based road map that is both logical and clear. The authors present a planning and implementation guide that specifically outlines participation, tasks and milestones. Want to design an organization that is customer focused, efficient, scalable, and achieves results? This book is not only a must-read, it's a must follow.

I was working late one night preparing for a new client meeting regarding redesigning the corporate center, and I found Leading Organization Design by Gregory Kesler and Amy Kates immensely useful. They have captured ways to address some really tricky issues.This book is a great addition to the organization design literature. Full of a wide variety of case studies, it includes fresh concepts, frameworks and tools that are practical, intuitive and easy to apply for an organization design practitioner. Hats off to both of them for a book that could easily become a classic.

This is the book you want to have when you are faced with redesigning, not simply reorganizing, your organization. It's a practical guide to all the necessary steps one must take in order to ensure alignment of all the components that enhance or inhibit your organization's ability to work smoothly. Kates and Kesler provide a practical framework that is written for the line manager who needs to redesign and the HR practitioner who helps make it happen. Easy to follow, simple to use, and a must-have for anyone who has this challenge in front of them.

This book discusses both organizational design choices and how to execute on changing a company's reporting structure. A lot of attention is given to how important the right balance of power is in a matrix organization. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about organizational design in general and those embarking on as restructuring of reporting relationships in their organization.

I have worked with Greg before, so I was really pleased to hear that he was capturing his wisdom about organization design into a book. His collaboration with Kates is an approachable and example-filled look at all the major themes that a leader should consider in organization design. Even if you are not in the midst of a major organizational change, you will find ideas in this book to help you take organization effectiveness to the next level.

This is a great mix of practical, how-to content, combined with a lot of research on what great companies are doing in the field of org design. There are some very new and big ideas in this book for how companies approach growth markets with organization. An easy read and you will mark up the pages and put stickies on the ones you want to come back to.

This is great stuff. Straightforward and lucid, but far from simplistic - they capture the nuances and complexity you have to understand to succeed in designing an effective organization. Kesler and Kates obviously have a wealth of experience in OD with many big-time sophisticated organizations, and it's great that they're willing to share so much of what they've learned over the years.

I bought this book for a course. I it a bit of a hard read and thin on the case studies. Nice thing was it was short!